


Titan's Allies

by LJadeK



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M, Nebula loves her new friend Tony, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Protective Nebula, Spoilers, Steve Rogers Feels, The Avengers Are Good Bros, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-05-03 05:15:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14561673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LJadeK/pseuds/LJadeK
Summary: No one expected any survivors from Titan, so when the Guardian's ship arrives in Wakanda, they are shocked to see Nebula, but she's not alone. Before she reveals her passenger, though, she's going to make sure these humans are going to be good to her new friend/ally.





	1. Chapter 1

_On Titan_

 

Tony hasn’t moved, he _can’t_ move. Peter. He hears his frightened voice in his head over and over. _“I don’t wanna go…”_ He feels the ghost of the kid stumbling into him and holding him close for those brief moments. _“I’m sorry, Tony.”_ He had whispered. No no no no Tony is sorry. So sorry. Peter was his responsibility, his death, his fault. Peter was his boy, his… his son. The son he so desperately and selfishly wanted to believe fate would let him hold on to and do right by. And he was just…gone. He lets out a small sob against his fist pressed to his mouth.

 

He hears footsteps approach but makes no move to acknowledge them. The individual stands at his side, hovering for a moment until he feels a slender hand slide to rest on his shoulder and give a surprisingly strong squeeze. A very small piece of him wants to throw off the gesture of comfort. He doesn’t deserve it, he failed. He failed to stop Thanos, he failed to protect the world, and he failed his family. The larger and desperately broken part of him wins however, and instead he raises his other hand to clutch the smaller one fiercely, like it is tethering him to the present, like it is the only thing keeping him from walking headlong into the abyss that he so desperately wishes he could jump into.

 

He hears and feels the shuffle as the individual sinks to their knees next to him heavily, exhausted and spent, their hands still connected on his shoulder.

 

“We can’t stay here.” The blue alien woman says into the silence. He doesn’t answer, continuing to stare at the dirt beneath him with glassy eyes. “You are from Terra?” Again, he can’t find his voice to answer. He hears her sigh next to him, but she doesn’t say more for what seems like an eternity.

 

“My name is Nebula. Gamora was my sister, my only family. I have nothing left to live for but to kill Thanos, and I will kill him. You fought him admirably, you are strong for a human. We could do it together.” The conviction in her voice finally draws him out of his thoughts. He turned to look into her hard black eyes as she stared at him steadily. He takes in the pain in her frame and her eyes.

 

“There…There may be someone left. On Earth. We could use their help.” He says quietly, his voice feels like gravel. She returns with a small sharp nod, saying, “We need to find some way off the planet. A ship of some kind. You need medical attention.” Her hand does not slip from his as she stands, using it to help pull him to his feet after her. He grits his teeth and tried to smother the pained moan that the action pulls from him.

 

They wander the terrain together, his arm slung around her shoulders and her arm winding around his waist to help support him. His breath his heavy and short, he is sweating heavily, and his face contorting into a wince with each step. Finally, they come to The Milano, still in working order despite the fight. Nebula helps to guide him up the ramp and into the empty ship, where she lowers him on to a table. Only now does he notice the way she is carefully avoiding using her left hand. It’s part robotic and part soft flesh. He wonders if he could fix it for her. Yes, he probably could, if he lives that long.

 

“Sit. I will look for supplies and salvage what I am able.” She instructs before heading off.

 

His shoulders slump and he feels like a weight is pressing down on him. He barely manages to keep his eyes open now. Darkness bleeding into the edges of his already blurring vision. The sweet oblivion of a dreamless eternal sleep is calling and he nearly gives in, until he is startled by a firm slap to his cheek. “Do not sleep.” Nebula instructs with a steely voice. In her other arm are a variety of items he can’t focus on but he assumes are medical supplies, which she dumps on the table next to him. His vision is swimming again and he can’t concentrate on anything. He can just make out her lips moving again, but his ears are ringing dully and her words aren’t filtering through. It’s not her voice he wants to hear at this moment anyway, not her face he wishes he could see. Peter, he wants Peter. That bright sunny smile and enthusiastic young voice.

 

“Peter.” Is all he manages to choke before he succumbs to the darkness.  

 

************************************************************

_On Earth_

 

The world was a broken and desolate mess. Half the population, gone, with no prejudice. In Wakanda, they were left to try and clean up with absolutely no idea or plan of where to go or what to do next. All they can do is clean up. Destroy the carcasses of the alien monsters that had attacked, search for the bodies that remained of those who fell, and help the wounded. To continue on, ever forward.

 

They barely spoke. They shared the silence, taking turns falling apart and trying to put each other back together in private stolen moments. Steve, carrying a bucket of provisions in a dark hallway when he was suddenly hit with despair so deep he stumbled. He would have fallen too, had Bruce not appeared and steadied him. Okoye and Shuri cling to each other when they have a brief respite from being needed by their country, many times Natasha can be found with them as well, her eyes red.

 

Rocket doesn’t speak much. He fiddles with some tech and lashes out at anyone other than Thor. The God himself doesn’t have much to say either, though he is angrier than he was before.

 

Finally, it becomes clear that even in their despair, they need to figure things out. They need to understand if they can. The sudden appearance of a man who introduced himself as Wong starts them on that path. They all gather in the old throne room, the air heavy. Thor and Bruce tell their part of the tale to their gathered audience, Thor continuing from the point that Bruce was sent back to Earth. Natasha and Steve do their best to fill in the blanks of the story with their path. Bruce fills them in on falling to Earth and landing in The Sanctum, asking for Tony.

 

Steve’s face pinches and he visibly swallows. He doesn’t want to hear how his friend disappeared and likely died. And he did consider Tony his friend, even after everything, he still loved Tony like family. His disappearance and subsequent death had already been weighing heavily on him. He was able to keep his focus off of it due to fear, adrenaline, and a greater threat looming. Since having a few moments to mourn though, more than one of those stolen moments of tears had been dedicated to the memory of the genius. The words they’d never been able to say, the moments they missed and never had, the apologies he thought they’d eventually get to but that were now all too late.

 

He felt tears gather in his eyes and saw the same tears in the eyes of his teammates as Bruce recounted the events occurring after his fall. Tony had been unfairly alone, his only back up being the boy who shouldn’t have left his school bus in the first place. The kid was strong, but he was just a kid. Steve felt a tear fall and didn’t bother to brush it away as he clenched his hands together tightly. He locked gazes with Natasha and saw her tears, knowing she was thinking the same thing he was; If they hadn’t fought, they could have all been there together, Tony wouldn’t have been so alone. Bruce neared the end of his story in New York, Strange being taken hostage by one of the children of Thanos, with Spider-Man attempting to retrieve him and Tony following to retrieve them both. All of them, disappearing to the sky. After that, Bruce knew nothing more.

 

“I believe I can help answer that.” Wong says, resigned. “Stephen contacted me with his magic from space before he was cut off.  Stark was able to save the boy from the atmosphere with an Iron Man design of the Spider Suit. He tried to send the kid home but he stowed away and didn’t reveal himself until it was too late. Together, they rescued Stephen and killed his captor. Stephen said they argued and Stark insisted that they take the fight to Thanos, away from Earth. If they failed, we were to stand and defend.”

 

Steve shook his head. Of course, Tony would try and take the fight away from Earth, hoping to spare it the destruction and save the lives of the people. Tony was crazy enough to think that fighting The Mad Titan out in space without more backup would be a better option than reaching out for help. No, that wasn’t fair. Tony was limited on time, and it’s not like Steve had a spaceship waiting around. Tony had sacrificed himself as the first line of defense. Steve didn’t even know the plan, but he knew Tony. He couldn’t help the sinking feeling that again, he had failed Tony.

 

Looking to his left he saw Rhodes. He was staring off at the wall, eyes not seeing anything as they spoke about his best friend in the world, who was now gone. The man looked wrecked and empty. Steve could relate, he felt the same emptiness. Rhodes was hardly breathing and his hands were shaking slightly as they hung limply at his sides. It was Bruce, who moved towards him and placed an arm around his shoulders. Rhodes didn’t even react.

 

Rocket spoke up from where he sat on a step. “Thanos showin’ up here ain’t a good sign for their fate, is it?” It wasn’t meant to be harsh, but it wasn’t a question.

 

Thor answered with a heavy sigh and regretful eyes and answered, “No, Rabbit. It is…unlikely that they survived.”

 

“Stephen would never have given up the Time Stone without a fight, and he certainly never would have given it up while there was still breath in his lungs.” Wong said, his face drawn and his eyes glistening with unshed tears for his friend.

 

“Suppose there ain’t a lot of hope for my friends, neither?” Rocket continued. Thor placed a heavy hand on the mammal’s narrow shoulder in comfort. “They went to check on the Collector. Thanos had the stone, so he must have gotten there before them… Or they were unable to stop him. I am sorry, my friend.” Rocket didn’t answer, he just continued to stare at the floor.

 

“What are we going to do?” Natasha’s whispered question went unanswered in the silence of the room. No one had any answers.

 

The clean up continued in Wakanda, were they all stayed. No one felt the need to go anywhere, even if they wanted to. Where would they go? Half the world was gone. Half the world they fought and lost for. No one could smile, no one could do much of anything. They ate halfheartedly and hardly slept.

 

Steve’s heart and mind constantly relived the pain of losing Bucky yet again. Again, he couldn’t save his friend. He was given a second chance and he still failed. He failed Bucky, failed Tony, he failed Wanda, Vision, T’Challa, Sam, all of them. Every time he thought of them he felt like the small kid from Brooklyn with asthma again. He couldn’t drag the air into his lungs in anything but short bursts. He was left gasping and gulping until the moment passed. Panic attack, Sam would probably call it. Panic attack, because he had again outlived the people he loved and was left to try and continue again. He tried to hold it together for the sake of the others and out of habit. Some days went better than others.

 

************************************************

 

It seemed like an eternity, but in reality it had only been three weeks. Three weeks of absolute hell. The clean-up continued. Families trying to locate each other, orphans brought to the palace temporarily until plans could be made. M’Baku partnering with Ramonda and the other tribes to provide the bare essentials to all of Wakanda’s people.

 

It was early evening when Rocket came running into the hall in which they were all gathered. He was clutching a piece of tech in his paws as he told them he made contact with The Guardian’s ship.

 

“My friend, connection to the ship means nothing if there is no answer in return.” Thor tried, softly. Rocket’s face twisted in sarcasm as he replied, “Good thing I got a reply then, huh pretty boy?”

 

Everyone snapped to attention at that. “The Guardians?” Natasha questioned. Rocket’s face fell as he shook his head negatively and said, “Not exactly. It’s Nebula.”

 

“Nebula, the second daughter of Thanos?”

 

Rocket nodded. “She and I are all that’s left of the Guardians. Should be entering the atmosphere within the hour.”

 

They called Wong and once he stepped through the portal they all gathered together on the landing terrace, not that it really mattered where the ship landed at this point. In the distance, Steve could make out the spaceship coming towards them. It touched down on the landing pad with little difficulty and they all stood in silent apprehension as the ramp began to open and a strange blue robot woman walked out.  

 

“I’d like to pretend I wasn’t happy to see you right now, fox.” She said as she descended and caught sight of Rocket. “You better not have broken my ship, Nebula.” He grunted in return, crossing his arms. Her response was to roll her eyes, but there was a touch of fondness behind both of their words and actions. Rocket introduced her to the others and she crossed her arms and appraised them each one by one.

 

Turning back to Rocket she said, “I have already met three others from Terra. They fought with us on Titan.”

 

Immediately the group started to fire off questions at her before Steve and Thor were able to calm them down. It was Thor who stepped forward and addressed her.

 

“Please, tell us what happened on Titan?”

 

“We fought Thanos.” She replied and with a shrug added, “We lost.”

 

“There must be more than that. Please, Miss, they…they were our friends.” Steve nearly begs.

 

Her large black eyes turn on him and again take him in. The feeling is unsettling at the very least, it’s like she knows something and is trying to find it on or in him. He doesn’t fidget, but he wants to.

 

After a beat, she narrows her eyes at him slightly and nods once, releasing him from her stare.

 

She looks unhappy to be reliving the events, but started anyways. “After I escaped my captivity from Thanos, I told the others to meet me on Titan. They had tried to stop Thanos on Knowhere, but they arrived too late. Once on Titan, they ran into three men from Terra; a boy, a man in an iron suit, and a wizard. They fought until they found we were allies in our cause to kill Thanos. The young one called them ‘Avengers’.”

 

Steve tried to remember to keep breathing through this. She had been there. She met Tony and the Spider-Kid, along with Strange. She knew what happened to them. She was going to tell them how they lost. He didn’t want to know, but he needed to. He felt Natasha reach one hand for his own and saw her reach for Bruce’s hand as well. Thor put a hand on Rhodes shoulder and Rocket leaned against Thor's leg. Wong laid had a hand on Shuri’s arm. Ramonda was wrapped in M’Baku’s embrace. Somehow, they all reached for each other in some way, even those who didn’t know each other as well. Their losses had tied them together.

 

Nebula’s eyes tracked all of the movement and a small flicker of surprise crossed her features. Steve bristled at that. Who was this woman and what did she know of them? Why should she be surprised to see them comforting each other? Just because she seemed to have an eerily robotic amount of control over her emotions didn’t mean that they rest of them did. They were hurting, didn’t she understand?

 

“We had a plan. Stark’s plan.” She said, her eyes again finding Steve when he took a sharp breath at the mention of Tony’s name. She ignored him though and continued, “We would do whatever it took to keep Thanos from closing his fist, and while we each took turns trying to hit him, we would attempt to take the Gauntlet from his hand. Strange used his magic and portals to aid us. Together, we beat him down while Mantis tried to calm his mind. Stark and P- the boy - pulled off the Gauntlet, they almost had it…but…”

 

She shook her head as if trying to clear it of the emotions that were tumbling down on her. Steve instantly felt regret for his thoughts a few moments ago about her robotic feelings. She did feel, of course she did, she was just holding it together better than the rest of them right now. She couldn't even say the boy's name. 

 

“Quill discovered Thanos had killed Gamora to obtain the Soul Stone.” Here she paused for a moment. “He… he lost it. When he lost it, we lost our hold, and Thanos snapped out of it. He beat us down.” She again turned and looked directly into Steve’s eyes as she said, “When the rest of us could no longer get up, Stark pushed himself and took on Thanos on his own.”

 

A sob was ripped from Natasha’s chest at that. Bruce pulled her into an embrace and she pushed her face into his chest, but she never let go of Steve’s hand.

 

“He did well.” Nebula continued. She continued to stare deep into Steve’s eyes as she said it. “He got in more hits than anyone else, he even made him bleed.”

 

Steve felt his chest flush with warmth at that. Tony was always so strong and so brave, of course he would be the only one apart from Thor to do any damage. He knew he wasn’t hiding his feelings very well, but this woman obviously knew something more about him. She knew that Tony was a vulnerable spot, that was obvious by the way she was almost addressing him as she spoke. Why? Why was she driving the knife into his heart while holding his gaze as she did it? What was she looking for?

 

“Thanos stabbed him in the abdomen.” The warmth Steve had felt was instantly replaced with ice. “Thanos spoke to him, he knew Stark’s name. He told him that when he was done, half of Terra would still be alive. He told him that he hoped they remembered Stark. I know Thanos, he respected Stark, he was almost gentle with him. I have never seen him act in such a way.”

 

Steve felt the hot tear trace its way down his cheek. Thor spoke, “How did Thanos gain the Time Stone?”

 

Nebula tore her gaze away and locked on Thor instead. “The Sorcerer offered the Time Stone in exchange for Stark’s life.”

 

It was Wong who spoke up with a shake of his head. “Stephen would never have done that! The Time Stone is more important than a single life.” He looked at the others and added, “I’m sorry. It doesn’t matter whose life.”

 

Nebula didn’t address the outburst. “After it was over, Thanos disappeared in a portal, leaving us on Titan. Then, one by one, the others turned to ash and dust, disappearing. Mantis, Drax, Quill. The boy stumbled into Stark. Stark held him as the boy turned to ash in his arms.”  

 

 _Oh god. Oh god, Tony._ That would have broken him, Steve knows it. That boy. Tony had grown close to the boy; he was sure of it. Watching the news, it was clear that Spider Man had been given upgrades and tech that could only have come from Iron Man. If the boy was involved professionally, Steve was sure he was involved personally. Tony didn’t know how to separate those lines. Even from their limited interaction, he knew the boy idolized Tony. _“Mr. Stark said you’d say that. You’re wrong, but you think you’re right, that makes you dangerous.”_ Complete faith in Tony.   

 

He couldn’t bring himself to ask the question they were all thinking. Before he could try to begin finding the courage or his voice, Nebula turned on her heel and walked back up the ramp. She was gone for only a few minutes before they heard footsteps on metal coming back. Instead of her sure strong footfalls, the returning ones were shuffling, slower, clumsier.

 

Slowly making their way down the ramp, Steve felt his heart and mind seize when he recognized the obviously injured figure she was supporting down the ramp.

 

 _Tony_.

 

He was wincing in pain with each step they took. He looked exhausted and spent, covered in bruises and cuts, but he wasn’t covered in dirt or dried blood, he had been cleaned with care and his wounds dressed. He had a thin blanket around his shoulders and a hand pressed to the side of his stomach, but he was alive. His eyes were trained on his feet as they shuffled down the ramp, trying not to stumble. Nebula supported him with a surprisingly soft look on her face and gentle hands. Steve didn’t know her, but he wouldn’t have guessed the stoic woman was capable of the gentleness she was showing. One glance to Rocket’s shocked face confirmed that this was a strange sight.

 

Nebula lowered her mouth to Tony’s ear as they slowly walked. His tilted his head towards her to hear her words, but even Steve’s enhanced hearing couldn’t pick up the words she spoke.

 

At his side, Natasha let out another noise that was half sob, half Tony’s name. Bruce had the beginnings of a tearful smile. Thor was beaming, though his eyes tracked Tony and Nebula’s movement and injuries with concern. Rhodes had actually buckled at the sight of his best friend and Wong had moved swiftly to catch him. “Tony!” He called desperately as Tony and Nebula reached the end of the ramp.

 

Tony’s eyes snapped up to Rhodes’ and a spark lit the dull orbs at the sight and sound of his friend. Rhodes recovered from his stumble and stepped to catch Tony in his arms as Nebula helped to carefully deposit him there. Rhodes clung to Tony like a lifeline and sobbed into his neck. Tony looked a little bit lost, his eyes wide as he looked at the rest of them over Rhodes’ shoulder. Upon seeing Bruce, he reached out with one of his hands towards the man. Natasha let him go and Bruce quickly took a few steps forward and took the hand in his own, reaching with his other hand to cradle the the back of Tony’s head which was still tucked over Rhodes shoulder in their hug. Bruce pressed his forehead to Tony’s and laughed with stray tears running down his cheeks. Tony only continued to stare back with wide eyes in shock.

 

“Be careful with him. I didn’t spend all my time binding his injuries just for you to re-open them again.” Nebula bit out in a low voice as she watched the reunion.

 

Paying her no mind, Rhodes pulled back and wiped some tears. “I’ve never been so happy to see you.” He told his friend. Tony continued to stare at him, breaking a small pained smile.

 

Thor laid a large but gentle hand on Tony’s shoulder. “It is good to see you, my friend. I feared we had lost you. I am glad to find otherwise.”

 

Tony’s gaze turned next to Natasha, who had her arms wrapped around herself tightly as she watched. Steve knew she was trying to hold herself back from launching at him to wrap him in a hug of her own. They had all been through so much, but that didn’t mean that Tony would be forgiving for what had happened between them 3 years ago. The tears streamed down her cheeks as Tony stared at her for a long moment.

 

Finally, he again outstretched his hand and opened his gauze wrapped palm towards her. He had barely done so before she sprung forward and burrowed her way into his embrace. He winced over her head, but said nothing, fighting through any discomfort in favor or holding his old friend. Nebula bit her tongue, but looked unhappy with the pain each reunion caused. After a while, Natasha finally pulled back, taking Tony’s face between her hands and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

 

Steve stood there as the exchanges happened. He didn’t dare move, even if he thought he could. Finally, Tony turned towards him, his large eyes full of grief. He opened his mouth and let out a choked, “Steve.”

 

That was enough to break whatever had been holding Steve in place. The uncontrolled grief, pain, confusion, comfort, and promise in Tony’s voice as he said Steve’s name shattered everything that had been holding him back.

 

He tried to remember to be gentle, to be mindful of Tony’s injuries, but as he gathered the smaller man into his arms he found that he could barely form a coherent thought that wasn’t the complete happiness that he found as Tony’s hands wrapped around him to return the hug just as fiercely.

 

Against his neck, he heard and felt Tony saying something. He tried to focus and strained to hear the words. “Peter. Oh my god, Steve, Peter is gone. He turned to ash in my hands. I held him. He was so scared. They’re gone, they’re all gone. I couldn’t- there was nothing-”

 

Steve held him tighter and tried to sooth him, even as Steve began to shed tears with him. “Shh, Tony, please, I know. I know. It happened here too. So many of them. I thought we’d lost you, too. I’m so happy to see you. I thought I’d never see you again.”

 

Tony shook with sobs. “I-I’m so sorry Steve, so sorry about what happened.”

 

“No please, Tony, please don’t. It was my fault. I lied to you, I didn’t mean to hurt you, I swear I didn’t. I’m so sorry I left you, I’m so sorry it split the team.”

 

They made quite a pair. Clutching at each other like they depended on it to live, tears streaming between them.

 

“Who-who else made it?” Tony asked as he pulled back from the embrace slightly, keeping an arm around Steve but reaching with his other hand again for Rhodes who took it without question. “This is it, Tones. It’s just us now. Thanos, he got Vision. The rest…” He shook his head, unable to continue.

 

Tony turned his gaze back to Steve. “Sam? Wanda?” Steve shook his head sadly. Tony swallowed hard and quietly inquired in a voice barely more than a whisper, “…Barnes?” Steve’s eyes filled again with tears as he again shook his head. Tony sighed and pulled Steve into another embrace. In his ear, he whispered, “I’m so sorry, Steve. I am so sorry.”

       

“You are going to hurt yourself again, Stark.” Nebula said in a tight voice as she watched the exchange. Tony pulled back from Steve slightly before offering her a small smile. “I’m alright, Stardust.” Steve couldn’t hide his shock at their exchange, especially the endearment Tony used, but she only rolled her eyes at the name and turned to the group at large.

 

“He needs rest and any additional medical attention you can spare. I didn’t have much to work with on the ship.” She said, ignoring Tony’s words that he was alright.  

 

Thor turned to Nebula and gave her a nod of thanks. “You have taken care of our friend well, we are in your debt.”

 

She leveled Thor with a tempered glare and said, “I did not do it for any of you. I did it for him.” At that, she turned and started back up the ramp, calling for Rocket to help her unload some of the things off the ship that she and Tony had gathered in their three weeks of absence.

 

Steve couldn’t help but wonder what had transpired between them in the three weeks that the woman had developed such a fierce affection and loyalty for Tony, not that it surprised him. Tony was nearly everything to him, he shouldn’t be shocked that someone else saw just how much Tony was worth. He was suddenly very glad that Nebula had been left with Tony on Titan. If Steve couldn’t have been there himself, he had a feeling that he couldn’t have asked for anyone better to have Tony’s back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By popular request! Some of you asked to see a bit more, maybe see the evolution of the friendship seen in the first chapter, so here we go!

_AFTER LEAVING TITAN -  BEFORE LANDING IN WAKANDA_

 

Sitting aboard the Milan traveling through space might have once been a dream come true for Tony Stark. After New York, it should have been an experience that drove him into a debilitating anxiety attack. Now, however, it provoked nothing in him as he sat and stared blankly out the ship to the vast darkness of space. He was too numb to feel anything at all. Apart from her giving him instructions how to pilot the ship, neither he or Nebula had spoken much since she helped him limp to the ship back on Titan. He hadn’t said a word, only silently let her patch him up with the few materials she found on the ship. Even when her inexperienced fingers prodded him in ways that should have easily been painful, he barely flinched.

 

Even if she had the time or energy, she knew hers wasn’t exactly a comforting presence. It didn’t seem to matter to the man though. Once he was patched up as well as she could manage, he followed her orders and listened to her flight instructions without a word.   

 

They stop to refuel at a small backwater planet that Nebula warns him is a hot spot for all kinds of illegal activity and the worst kind of criminals. Here, they should be able to get what they need and mostly go unnoticed and get out. All that matters on this planet is currency and the shady business that earns it.

 

Unfortunately, things don’t go as smoothly as they’d hoped because, at this point, why the hell would it? Tony, who is sure the universe is out to get him personally at this point, has paired up with someone who, although he knows next to nothing about her, he knows she hasn’t had an easy ride either. Together, they probably bring all the bad luck left in the universe on themselves.

 

Shortly after landing and getting the fuel they desperately needed, Nebula declares she is going for information and that Tony will stay on the Milan and wait for her to return. Tony doesn’t love the idea, but since he has no idea where they are, what species live here, which language they speak, or really anything else, he doesn’t argue with her and simply nods. Satisfied with his silence she stalks down the ramp out into the hazy grime of the planet’s filthy city.

 

Keeping her mind from wandering is a task she has never had much trouble with – until now. Thoughts and memories of Gamora haunt every step she takes. They had just begun to be sisters, just started to try to understand each other. Thanos had _loved_ Gamora, adored her. _Why_? _Why_ would he kill his favorite daughter? Because she mattered to so many others? Because she had finally found some kind of happiness? It wasn’t fair. Nebula was no stranger to pain or to the idea that life wasn’t fair, but this, this was wrong and this was different because this wasn’t her, it was someone else. Someone she loved. The only someone she had ever loved. Her sister. Pain she had felt, but only her own pain. Now, this loss, this anguish, and this helplessness to change it, that was new.

 

In her distraction, it took her longer than it ever should have to realize she is being watched and followed by at least 2 very large, very dangerous individuals. Without much of a thought, she ducked into the alley to her left to prepare for the inevitable confrontation.

 

Unfortunately, the criminals are smarter than she might have guessed, as there are already four of them lurking in the darkness of the alley. Reversing direction to spin quickly on her heel she is faced with not two, but in fact four more massive and heavily armed thugs.

 

She was absolutely loath to admit it, but she was in no condition to fight. Physically and even emotionally, she was unsteady, Titan had taken its toll on her as well as her companion back on the ship. She shouldn’t have risked leaving the ship at all. ‘ _Too late now though’_ she thought as she adopted a fighting stance and pulled her knives.

 

The first few minutes of the fight see three of the thugs on the ground and the conditions turning in her favor easily, even outnumbered as she is. That is, until she is hit simultaneously in the stomach and the small of her back with a stunning amount of voltage from a hidden device. Nerves feeling like they’ve been lit on fire, her knees hit the solid ground with a sickening crack as she lets out a grunt of pain. One of the devices is placed on the back of her head and fired again, more electricity flowing like molten lava through her body. The high voltage crackling against and inside the robotic parts of her body almost surely caused internal damage. Her left arm hangs uselessly at her side, the fuses blown out and her vision blurs in and out of focus.

 

Shakily raising her communicator, she quickly speaks harshly into it to send the message, “Compromised. Leave.” to Stark back at the ship before turning back to the fight at hand and attempting to raise herself back up on a shaky right arm.  

 

The next few minutes are a barrage of fists, boots, and the butt ends of guns. One of the largest thugs picks her up from the heap on the ground by her throat and raises her at least three feet off the ground, her legs dangling. Between the voltage and the rest of the damage she has taken, she can barely summon enough strength to claw at his hand.

 

He brings her face inches away from his own, putrid breath hitting her nostrils as he chuckles darkly.

 

“A little bit of fight in this one. They’ll have to break her, but she should fetch a pretty price.”

 

Out of the corner of her blurry vision she sees one of the thugs pull a large metal collar out of a case and advance towards her. With air cut off she starts to see spots and her head feels light. Before he can reach for her, a sudden noise echoes through the alley and she is dropped back to the dirty ground with a thud, landing on her stomach with her face in the dirt. Her lungs drag in breath after breath in a panicked attempt to regain some kind of awareness.

 

After a few minutes, her brain starts to come back on line and she puts all of her strength into heaving herself onto her side and rolling her head. What she sees shocks her more than she could ever possible voice. Stark is standing there, a large long metal rod gripped tightly in his hands as he raises it and brings it down on one of the thugs laying at his feet. With the final blow, the thug stops moving entirely and lays boneless at Stark’s feet. She sees a gun discarded down the alley along with the bodies of more of the thugs, riddled with wounds from said gun as well as wounds she recognizes are caused by his armor weapons. Where Stark had gotten the gun from, she had no idea. She turned her attention back to where Stark was up against the last thug standing, the one that had held her by the throat.

 

The smaller man was still surprisingly light on his feet as he twisted away from a flying fist and returned with a hard blow to the back of the thugs knees. With a quick movement, Stark produced one of her knives in his hand, which he buried in the thug’s chest with a grunt.

 

Swaying on his feet for a moment, Stark let out a burdened huff before turning towards where she was still laying on the ground.   

 

Shocked, all she can say is, “Why are you here?” Her voice is raspy and broken. She realizes she had yet to hear him speak since Titan, until now.

 

“Why am I-? For you, obviously. Can you walk?” He says as he approaches and squats down next to her, his hands hovering and large eyes flitting over her form as if they were looking for something.

 

“What are you looking for?” She spits, uncomfortable with her own feelings of confusion over his actions.

 

“Injuries.” He murmurs quietly as he gently places a large hand on her chin and turns her head to the side to take in a deep cut and bruise on her cheek. She jerks her head out of his grasp and pulls her head back to eye him warily.

 

“You- I told you I was compromised. You were supposed to leave!”

 

He doesn’t seem to take any offence or be put off by her actions, his gaze instead zeroing in on her non-functional left arm as his soft voice replies, “And if I had, you might be dead or-”

 

“So?” She demands.

 

“So…?” His voice sounds confused as he gingerly turns her arm over in his fingers.

 

“Why do you care? I taught you how to fly the ship!” She exclaimed, confusion melting into frustration.

 

“Why are you so angry?” He simply asks as his fingers press down on different parts of her arm.

 

“Because you made a stupid decision! You should have left; you should have continued on! We have a mission and a purpose and-”

 

Finally, he looks up from what he is doing with her arm. His eyes are intense and his gaze is impossible to read as he cuts her off. “Yes, _we_ do.”

 

They stare at each other for a moment, her trying to figure out why he would risk himself for her, him trying to understand why she was surprised he had done so. He casts a glance behind him before sighing and again asking, “Do you think you can you stand?”


	3. Chapter 3

Back on the ship, Nebula watched as Stark shifted in his seat with a grimace of pain as he held his hand to his injured side.

 

“I told you that you made the damage worse.” She bit out as she glanced at him and pretended to be more interested in the controls of the ship.

 

He huffed in response and tilted his head back without responding. Growing more annoyed at his lack of response and seeming lack of care that he had made his injuries worse by risking so much instead of just leaving like she had asked, she pushed again.

 

“You didn’t even bother to use your brain. I’m assuming you do have a brain, don’t you? The only other Terran I’ve met was Quill and I was really hoping that he was an exception, not the rule.” Even as she said it, the words twisted wrongly inside of her chest. Quill was gone and even though she hadn’t exactly liked him, he had meant something. Gamora had found something worth loving in him.

 

With a sigh, Tony finally answered her.

 

“You can push all you want, Stardust, I’m not going to apologize for not leaving you behind.”

 

Her hands faltered over the controls. “What did you just call me?” She asked incredulously, putting a warning into her voice that Tony clearly didn’t care about or didn’t bother to listen to, since he repeated, “Stardust, honey.”

 

“I told you, my name is Nebula.” She ground out.  

 

“And I heard you the first time, Stardust.” He replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

 

“You are lucky that I haven’t killed you yet.” She said as she turned back to the controls, trying to fight the twinge of attachment in her chest as she saw him smile for the first time, even if it was sardonic.

 

“You have no idea how many times I’ve heard that.” He said, smile evident in his voice.

 

“I don’t doubt it. You are insufferable.”

 

He laughed a little bit at that before cutting off the noise with a sharp intake of breath through his teeth. Hearing the sound of pain, she turned back toward him.

 

“Whatever you used to heal yourself, it isn’t doing a very good job. You need actual medical care.”

 

He waved a tired hand in her direction.

 

“Do you not care if you die?” She spat out.

 

Finally, his eyes opened and he looked at her clearly.

 

“I wanted to die back on Titan. I tried by best to do so. So no, right now, I really couldn’t give a shit either way.”

 

Throwing the automatic piloting on she stood up and stalked over to his chair, towering over him and glaring down at him as his fierce gaze looked up at her.

 

“You may have wanted to die but you didn’t. You wouldn’t leave me when I asked you to so I’m not going to just leave you. Like it or not we’re stuck with each other, so suck it up and start thinking of how we are going to get the others back.”

 

With a last glare she turned to walk away in search of something for them to eat on the ship.

 

“If I have to follow those rules so do you.” He called in return to her retreating back. She turned around and found his gaze on her, his eyes holding more life now.

 

“No more questioning why I didn’t leave you behind and no more asking me to do it in the future. Deal, Stardust?”

 

She glared at him for a moment longer before finally saying, “Fine. Deal. But stop calling me that.” Turning away she started walking again, hearing him chuckle lightly and mutter, “Not likely.”


	4. Chapter 4

“We are a few days from Earth now.” Nebula said as she laid back in the pilot’s chair next to Tony.

 

He made a small noise in the back of his throat in acknowledgement.

 

“Are you afraid of what you will find?” She asked.

 

Instead of answering her question, he asked one of his own.

 

“Do you have a planet?”

 

She didn’t know how to answer that. “I’m sure I had one, once. I don’t remember it and I don’t have any idea which one it was.” She felt his gaze on her as she answered. Stomping down on the feelings that she held on this subject she shrugged and pretended not to care.

 

“It’s probably gone anyways. Thanos would have made sure of that, so it doesn’t really matter.”

 

Tony nodded thoughtfully. “I don’t see how its theoretical lack of continued existence makes it inconsequential, but if it helps you to think of it that way that’s your choice.”

 

She scoffed at his response, “It is inconsequential. Even if it still existed I wouldn’t know which planet it was. Thanos took me as a small child and raised me.”

 

“But can’t you research which planets have inhabitants who resemble you?” Tony theorized.

 

She felt her patience with the conversation thinning. “Look, Stark, I don’t even know what people on my planet look like. With the changes that have been made to me, there’s no way to know.”

 

After a few beats of silence, she realized her mistake. Dreading what she would find she turned to look at him. He was gazing at her with cautious interest and apprehension.

 

“I know that you are going to be angry, but you know that I have to ask; What the hell do you mean by that?” He said as he held her gaze with determination.

 

She didn’t want to have this conversation. It was an old wound that shouldn’t effect her like it still managed to do each time.

 

“Growing up…” She cleared her throat as she trained her gaze on the far stars outside of the ship and tried again, “Growing up my father was… He used to force Gamora and I to fight each other. Gamora was better than I. So, every time I lost, he punished me by replacing a piece of me with a part. Eventually I became more part than person. So no, I don’t know what people of my race should look like. I don’t know if they look anything like I do now.”

 

“Dear God.” He whispered.

 

Sniffing she realized that a single tear was making its way down her cheek. Angry with herself for showing emotion, she wiped it roughly away. What was wrong with her? For years she had been stone cold and devoid of emotion. She had been perfect. Suddenly she was feeling so much and acting so pathetic. Her father would be ashamed of her. Gamora would be ashamed of her.

 

“Stop that. Stop that right now, I don’t want to hear you say that ever again, and I don’t want you to think it to yourself, either.”

 

The vehemence and strength in his voice shocked her. Did she say that all out loud?

 

“First of all, you are a person, not a part. Just because someone has added a part to you doesn’t mean you are any less of a person. It was without your consent and it wasn’t done out of love or care for you. You are a person, Nebula, and you deserve to be treated like one. I’m sorry you weren’t.”

 

Defensive immediately, she snapped, “I don’t need your pity.”

 

“But you have it, none the less. You also have my respect and my admiration. I watched you fight him. On that note, don’t refer to that monster as your father. He wasn’t your father and he doesn’t deserve that title. Not showing emotion is not what makes you perfect or strong. You are strong.”

 

“You don’t know what I’ve done!” She yelled, more tears falling now. “You don’t know who I am, how many people I’ve hurt!”

 

His voice stayed calm as he replied, “It doesn’t matter. You don’t know how many people’s deaths I am responsible for. If you did you might not have saved me like you did either. At this point it doesn’t matter, Nebula. We are here and the people we love still need us. I don’t care what that purple dick told you that you are or are not. I am telling you that you are a person, and you matter. Having machine parts in you doesn’t devalue you. Hell, machines are my area of expertise. When we get to Earth we are going to stop at my workshop and we are going to fix the pain in your left arm that you are still trying to hide from me.”

 

He smiled knowingly at her as she rubbed the pain in her wrist he had evidently spotted.

 

“I was never enough for him.” She whispered. “All I ever wanted was for him to be proud of me, just once.”

 

She felt his hand land on her forearm. “You don’t need him to be proud of you.”

 

She sniffled again as a comfortable silence hung between them.

 

“I’m sorry about your son. You are obviously a wonderful father. I promise I will do whatever I can to help you bring him back. If it means sacrificing myself, I will gladly do so.”

 

Tony closed his eyes as a look of pain flashed across his features.

 

“Peter. Peter wasn’t my son, exactly. But I loved him like he was. I wish I’d shown him that a bit more. He wasn’t supposed to be there, he snuck on board the ship. I wouldn’t have risked him like that.”

 

His large brown eyes opened and connected with her dark ones.

 

“And while I appreciate your bravery, I wouldn’t want to trade a daughter for a son, so don’t make me go through that. We’ll get them all back, including him and you can meet him properly. He will think you are amazing, just like I do.”

 

A sudden warmth flooded her chest at his words. “Daughter?” She choked out harshly.

 

“I’ve developed an inexplicable habit of adoption without the proper paperwork. Unfortunately, you don’t have much of a say it in it. Welcome to the family, Stardust.”  


	5. Chapter 5

“Your planet is beautiful.” Nebula says as Earth grows larger and larger through their windows.

 

“It is.” Tony sighs.

 

“Take the controls, you know where we need to go.”

 

She watched as Tony piloted the ship. His skin was growing more pale each day that went by and although he tried to hide it, he was growing weaker. She could only hope that his world was in good enough shape that someone could help him with his wounds. Her best clearly wasn’t enough since his condition continued to worsen.

 

Flying over a large city, it was fairly obvious that things weren’t in very good condition. Tony remarked that no one reacting as they entered the atmosphere and nothing since was not a good sign. They landed on a large platform near an odd building with large grounds. The Avengers Compound, Tony had called it with a shake of his head.

 

Nebula had gotten small pieces of Tony’s life as they had travelled. Obviously, she knew who Tony was once he recounted the battle with the Chitauri. She had been with Thanos still at that point. They hadn’t known that Earth’s warrior was Tony himself, but she had known of him.

 

He had told her about Ultron and the disaster that had caused and he had told her about the disagreement between the other Avengers that had resulted in them being split when the attack for the Time Stone began.

 

Although he had told her quite a bit about the people in his life and the events, he had kept out most of his feelings about them. All she could tell you is that he missed those who had been exiled, but he had other strong and difficult feelings that muddled his thoughts, especially concerning the one known as “Captain” or “Rogers”, as Tony called him. He had been unwilling or unable to divulge much about that situation. The pain and avoidance in his eyes had told her that she should drop it for the time being.

 

After landing, she slipped a supportive arm around him as they slowly made their way from the ship to the door of the building.

 

Scanning his hand and entering a few passwords, the door opened and they stepped inside. Instead of the complete silence she had been expecting, Nebula whirled around with knives ready as a female voice called out to them.

 

“Boss, I couldn’t be happier to see you again. My scans detect injury; may I suggest calling a doctor?”

 

“Friday. It’s good to hear from you baby girl. No doctor right now, we are here for a quick tune up and repair.” Tony smiled tiredly as he heard the voice of his AI once again. A short explanation as they made their way down to his lab made Nebula relax slightly, though she was still wary.  

 

Once in the lab, Tony motioned for Nebula to sit down on one of the stools.

 

“Fri, tell me that there are still some of us left?”

 

“I am sorry boss; I have no way of knowing. The majority of the fighting took place in Wakanda. I have not heard anything much since. I know that survivors are rebuilding, but I do not know who is among them.”

 

Nebula watched as Tony’s shoulders slumped at that. She wished she could do something to help, but she didn’t know anything about those he had left here other than the things he had told her on the ship.

 

Tony inquired into a few names specifically, and by the reaction of his FRIDAY, she knew that their fate didn’t look positive. Tony tried to contain his emotions as he hooked various cords and attachments to her body, explaining to her that he was scanning for any possible components that he should be aware of before attempting to fix her damaged parts.

 

With the addition of a small wire, Nebula felt a sudden connection. The electricity hit her hard, but there was no physical pain.

 

Suddenly, moments and memories that were not her own began to flash through her brain, with emotions and sensitivity accompanying them.

 

Drinking and partying, reckless behavior and avoidance that ultimately led to pain and crushing guilt. She saw unfamiliar faces of young Terrans before they were suddenly killed, followed by confusion before seeing a bomb that read _Stark_ _Industries_ exploding. Torture came next, followed by horror at a piece of metal imbedded in skin without consent (this one she was familiar with, though the torture and parts were different than her own memories.) Anger, and refusal to lie down and die, strength to get back up and continue fighting. Betrayal of someone who was supposed to have loved her, before finding a hope in a possible new family, only to watch it all fall apart.

 

She saw deep blue eyes and felt an intense weight of love associated with them. Suddenly, the crystal clear memories of fighting family, the confusion and anger and despair at realizing they were lost. The pain of the words the blue eyed man aimed at her. Didn’t he understand that she loved him? Didn’t he understand that she couldn’t lose him? He chose someone else. Bucky. Who was Bucky? Then the images and memories of trying to help and failing, a deep secret and yet again an even deeper painful betrayal. Being left laying in the cold after the person she loved most had beaten her within and inch of her life and then left her there. Anger again, burning bright and then fading. Realization that Bucky wasn’t to blame. Guilt over what she had done to him. Wishing more than anything that things could have been different. Finally accepting that they wouldn’t change, it was too late. Peter. Trying to teach and protect Peter. Be better for Peter. Keep him safe, that’s all that mattered in the daylight. Not all that mattered after the day was over, though, since she was still haunted by dreams of blue eyes and sandy blonde hair. Art that she couldn’t bring herself to throw away and a small communication device she carried with her everywhere she went.

 

Suddenly, further images and feelings were torn from her as she fell to her knees on the cold floor of Tony’s lab. Her breathing was harsh as the feelings and images she had seen slotted into her mind in order, all becoming clearer with every second. They weren’t hers, she knew that, they were Tony’s.

 

Her eyes filled with more tears as she tried to breathe through the onslaught of memories and emotions. This was Tony’s life. A mixture of the good memories of family and love, together with the loss of said family and the pain in their absence.

 

Distantly, she heard Tony’s voice starting to cut through the cloudiness in her mind. His hand on her back rubbing soothing circles.

 

As she came back to herself she heard him ask FRIDAY what the hell had happened. 

 

FRIDAY’s response was sorrowful as she answered, “The connection had unexpected results, Boss. The BARF simulation information you had stored was essentially downloaded to her memory databanks. I tried to stop it but was unable to block it all. I am sorry, Boss.”

 

Tony made a sound of distress before he focused on Nebula again.

 

“Nebula, honey, I am so sorry, are you alright? Take your time, we have plenty of it. Breathe.”

 

Sitting back Nebula finally stabilized her breathing before looking up into Tony’s worried eyes.

 

“You didn’t tell me that you loved him.” She said simply.

 

Tony swallowed thickly before shaking his head sadly and shrugging. “I’m sorry. It’s… it’s complicated.”

 

She smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder as they sat on the floor together, “I know. I’ve just felt it.”


End file.
